Attorney General John Suthers Friends Facebook, Which May Unfriend Overland High's "Burn Book"

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After a nearly year-long dispute that resulted in a freeze on state agencies joining Facebook, Attorney General John Suthers has capitulated. Those agencies can now create pages on Facebook and start adding friends, uploading pictures—essentially join the digital age and begin networking socially, writes Westword, which reports that Suthers, citing "indemnity issues" last April, ordered any state agencies and institutions of higher education with Facebook pages to take them down.

After extensive negotiations, including the elimination of indemnity clauses, Suthers now feels that to bar agencies from social networking would be to contradict the state constitution. Besides, Suthers' spokesman says the attorney general wants to be on Facebook, too, as it's "another great tool to reach out to our constituents" (via the Colorado Springs Gazette).

Facebook didn't wait on Suthers or any other law-enforcement officials to address a case of alleged bullying involving students at Overland High School in Aurora, according to 9News. A Facebook page called "Burn Book" features pictures of students with derogatory comments, including examples of gay bashing, bigotry, threats, and harassment. Facebook is investigating the matter and may remove the page, says company spokesman Simon Axten. "The safety of the people who use Facebook is extremely important to us," Axten writes. "We have strict policies that prohibit the posting of content that bullies or harasses."